An all-new model will soon replace one of the oldest but undeniably, still one of the best-looking and most capable vehicles in the premium SUV segment, the Range Rover.

The upcoming Range Rover will be the fourth generation model following the original that was produced from 1970 to 1996, the second iteration that lasted from 1994 to 2001, and the current version that has been in production since 2002.

While the current model has the unique distinction of being developed by three different companies as it was planned and designed under the leadership of the BMW Group, updated by Ford when the latter bought Land Rover, and revised when the British company landed in the hands of India’s Tata Motors, the fourth-gen Range Rover will be the work of Tata.

In June, we showed you spy shots of a test mule wearing the current model’s body panels over LR’s new platform, but now, our scoop photographers nabbed an actual prototype of the 2013 Range Rover, complete with the new body.

If you pay close attention to the photos, you’ll notice that the rear window hatch on this prototype is more heavily raked than on the current Range Rover. That said, we’re not sure if Land Rover is going for a slightly more sportier look for the new Range Rover or if this is test car is actually a prototype for the next Range Rover Sport.

Either way, Land Rover executives recently said that the design of the next Range Rover series will be influenced by the Evoque adding that both the windscreen and the rear window will have a steeper angle, while keeping the classic floating roof.

The British company’s bosses have also confirmed that the new Range Rover will benefit from a lighter aluminium chassis using know-how from the group’s Jaguar brand as well as an alloy body shell and the liberal use of composite materials, all of which will help shave about 450kg (992 pounds) dropping the SUV’s weight to about 2,200kg (4,850 pounds).

The company is also developing a fresh batch of V6 and V8 diesels, and V8 petrols, the latter in both naturally aspirated and supercharged formats, connected to Land Rover’s 8-speed automatic transmission.

A hybrid model featuring a similar setup to the Range_e concept shown at the Geneva Salon this past March is also in the works.

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